Thousands of Social Security Numbers Cancelled: What To Know

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has classified thousands of migrants as dead, effectively halting their ability to claim benefits or work legally in the United States, according to reports.

The SSA added the names and Social Security numbers of more than 6,000 predominantly Latino migrants to a database used to track deceased individuals, according to The Washington Post.

The move, reportedly requested by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, was implemented to put pressure on undocumented migrants to leave the country, according to the newspaper, citing a White House official.

Newsweek has contacted the SSA for comment outside of regular working hours.

Why It Matters

The SSA pays out benefits to tens of millions of recipients every month. But individuals who are declared dead can no longer receive benefits or get access to other government services.

What To Know

Individuals reportedly targeted by the SSA's move include migrants with valid Social Security numbers who have lost their legal status in the U.S., such as those who initially entered through now expired temporary work programs during Joe Biden's administration.

The migrants' names are believed to have been added to a database — known as the Death Master File, which contains more than 85 million records of deaths dating back to 1936 — after two memorandums of agreement were reportedly signed by Noem and acting Social Security commissioner Leland Dudek on Monday.

Without Social Security numbers, the affected individuals will not be able to receive benefits, Medicaid, Medicare, unemployment insurance, or federal loans.

A White House official said that of the roughly 6,000 individuals added to the death database, nearly 1,000 are receiving benefits through Medicaid; 41 are collecting unemployment insurance; and 22 are receiving student loans, according to The Washington Post.

What People Are Saying

White House spokesperson Elizabeth Huston said, according to The Washington Post: "President Trump promised mass deportations and by removing the monetary incentive for illegal aliens to come and stay, we will encourage them to self-deport. He is delivering on his promise he made to the American people."

Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, told Newsweek in a statement: "This is an outrageous abuse of power. It will not only create extreme hardship, but kill people. Imagine, in one Trump administration keystroke, losing your income, your health insurance, access to your bank account, your credit cards, your home, and more.

"This is a total misuse of the dedicated revenue that workers contribute to Social Security, with every paycheck. Though Trump claimed he wouldn't cut benefits, he essentially is by diverting dedicated monies from their intended purpose of paying Social Security benefits to the immoral purpose of maliciously ruining lives."

What Happens Next

The SSA has not yet confirmed the reports.